Footing for towers or the like



l,805,31vl

May 12, 1931 H. o; HILL FOOTING' FOR TOWERS OB THE LIKE Filed July 2s. 1929 Patented May 12, 193i.

PATENT FFCE HAROLD o. HILL,I or Asrmwanr., Pnrrigrsrnveninv FOOTING- FOR TOWERS OR THE LLKE implicati@ filed4 July 26, 1929.

This. invention relates to a footing or anchoi.I for posts, poles, towers, and the like, and is particularly adapted for a footing or anchor forv structural Vsteel towers of the 5 character employed for power transmission lines- In the erection of power transmission towers, two methods have heretofore been followed. for anchoring said towers; one,to. provide concrete bases constructed below the ground level and into which the legs of the tower or the stub angles thereof are embedded, and the other is to embed a grillage the ground and provide suitable connecting means for securing the legs or the stubs tothe. grillage. In both .of these methods, it is necessary to do. considerable excavating.

This excavation is very expensiye and unsatisfactory.

Accordingly, itis a prime object of this invention to provide anew and improved footing-or anchor which may be easily positioned and secured in the ground dispensing with the customary encavzuingy and concreting.

A second object is to, provide a footing or anchor of the, character specified including a base, means forY att-aching the member to be anchored to the base, and a plurality of rods so or the like adapted to be secured the base andl extend into; the ground for holding the footing place. f

A, further object is tot forni rods 0r the like with flattened portions for deflecting the sainel when entered into the ground.

Other objects are to provide an economical and commercial structure which may be easily applied in a minimum of time.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan view of a footing embodying my invention; i

Fig. 2, a part elevation and part sectional view, the section being taken on the line II-II of Fig. l and showing the footing positioned in the ground; and

Fig. 8, a diagrammatic view of a type of tower to which my invention may be applied.

Serial No. 381,157.

As shown in` the drawings, my invention essentially comprises a base member A a stub or leg attaching member B, and a plurality of rods C or the like. The basey A is preferably annular in form and includes a plate 2 and an outer wall 3, the latter being formed with a plurality of upwardly extending spaced-apart apertured lugs el., disposed throughout its circumference.

At the juncture of the wall and the plate.l the metal is inc-resaed to form an inner e-nlarged portion 5 having a downwardly and inwardly extending tapered or inclined face 5a; and through this enlarged portion and its face I provide a number of'countersunk openings` 6, said openings being disposed at an angle of substantially 45 to the peripheryV of the base or at substantially right angles tothe face 5c. Plate 2 of member A isalso formed with a central countersunk ope-ning 6a.

Adapted to be entered in the openings 6 and; 6a are a plurality ofA rods C or the like, having upset portions or heads 7 at one end for engagement with the conntersunk portionsv of said openings. The rods C are of any desirable length and are preferably round in cross-section, having chiseled points 8 at their other ends, said point-s being sharpened on one side only. 9 designates flattened or thinned portions of said rods, designed to be formed alternately at righ-t angles to one another along the rods.

The stub or leg att-aching member B is formed with an annular tapered bottoni plate 1Q, designed to he entered within the annular Wal-l of they base. member A andI b e.A supported thereby with? its tapered portipn engaging the tapered face; 5a ofthe wall 3. Member B is also; provided with a` plurality of upwardly extending' ape-rtured laigsv ll so arranged as to' cooperate with the lugs l of thel base A. when theA members are` assembled andfto rcceive bolts l2 for securing the member B. to the said base.

InV addition to the parts or elements above stated, the member B has an eccentrically disposed upwardly extending angular member or an open sided elongated sleeve 13 having reinforcing ribs la extending out- (l il wardly therefrom and downwardly to the bottom plate l0. This member 13 may be of any desired configuration to receive and have attached thereto a stub 15 employed for attaching a leg of a transn'ission tower or the like to the footing. The stub l5 is riveted or bolted to the angular member 13 at 1G, and is formed with bolt receiving holes l? for securing legs thereto.

In positioning my invention on or in the ground, the ground is leveled olf and tamped. The base member A is then placed on the leveled area. and a rod C driven into the ground through the center opening 6a of the plate Q, until the upset portion or head T engages the countersunk portion of said opening. The remaining rods C are then driven in the ground through the openings G in a like manner and present the appearance of the roots of a tree and function similarly to roots in that they securely anchor the superimposed parts to the ground. By driving the rods diametrically opposite one another in succession, the base member A will retain its desired position.

By mea-ns of the chieeled points 8 and the flattened or thinned portions 9, the rods will become deflected while being nriven. For example, should. a rod strike stone, its chiseled point will deflect the rod around the stone, the resultant bending being permitted by the flattened portions.

When the rods are driven, the bottom plate 10 of member B is placed on the base member and the lugs l and 1l bolted together by the bolts l2. It will be noted that the upset portions or heads 7 of the rods C are held in place by member B and that there will be no upward movement of the rods.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that a firm and secure footing is affords*r with a minimum of labor and cost; also, that the footing is attached to the ground without materially disturbing the natural soil. Further, that the parts constitutingr the footing or anchor structure comprises only the two castings or forgings, members A and B, and a few rods C.

I claim:

1. A footing for towers and the like comprising a base, stub or leg attaching means mounted on and secured to the base comprislng a base portion and upwardly extending means, means for securing the base portion to the base, and .a plurality of rods or the like extending downwardly into the ground through openings in the base, said rods having heads countersunk in the base and covered by said base portion.

A footing for towers and the like comprismg .a base, stub or leg attaching means comprising a base portion and upwardly eX- tending means mounted on and secured to the base, said base formed with inclined openings, and a plurality of rods or the like eX- tending downwardly into the ground from the base, said rods passed through the in clined openings of the base and having head positioned between the base and the attaching means.

3. A footing for towers and the like comprising a base having inclined openings formed therein, stub or leg attaching means mounted on and secured to the base, a plurality of rods or the like extending down wardly into the ground through the inclined base openings, and means on the rods for deflecting the rods in the ground, said rods having heads positioned between the base and the attaching means.

4.. A footing for towers and the like comprising a base having openings therethrough, stub or leg attaching means mounted on and secured to the base, a plurality of rods or the like extending downwardly into the ground through the base openings, said rods having heads, pointed ends, and flattened portions thereon formed alternately at right angles to one another, said heads being countersunk in the base and covered by the leg attaching means.

5. A footing for towers and the like comprising a base having openings therethrough, stub or leg attaching means including an angular member for receiving and supporting a stub or leg and a base portion, said means mounted on and secured to the base with the base portion entered in the base, and a plurality of rods or the like extending downwardly into the ground through the base openings and having heads disposed between the base and the said base portion.

G. A footing for towers and the like comprising a base having an annular wall with inclined openings formed in said wall, a stub or leg attaching means including a bottom plate entered in the base and provided with an upwardly extending portion shaped to receive the end of a stub or leg, means for ser curing the bottom plate to the base, and a plurality of headed rods passed through the inclined openings with their heads located between the base and the said bottom plate.

In testimony whereof` I amx my signature.

HAROLD O. HILL. 

